Phuket Taxis Agree To Standard Fares

[moskito]

The solution is easy..............DONT GO TO PHUKET...GO TO PATTAYA!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trust me mate, there are not only people coming for the beer and the cheap h??kers....some people like

to go swim in their holliday...so have you ever seen a BLUE sea? Pattaya pfffffft... the only thing what is

better in Pattaya is the beer is cheaper and they have what Phuket needs - A PUBLIC Transportation system wich works..

BUT, may be there is not so much money in for the big heads there as it is in Phuket - I heard once that the Tuk Tuk

drivers have to pay each day 500.-Baht to one people UP in the government... but I guess its just a rumour

btw, I have heard even the H??kers are not really cheap anymore too

[moskito]

I get it now. They have just made the ripoff legal and official across the board by the local authorities. Now that is amazing and actually quite smart. I wonder if that is Farang price or do locals have to pay the same fee?

It's a Farang price! On the west coast, no thai will ever drive with a Tuk Tuk, if not a Farang pays for it!

If you take a tuk Tuk from Nai Mueang (Robinson area) to Ha Yek (Villa market area) you can get it for 200 baht.For sure, if you have a Thai with you!

That is ~ the distance from Patong to Kata, but 40% of the price, only!

thats just not TRUE... I bet you just dont wanted to pay more and your Thailady tipped the driver with another 150.-Baht, thats the normal fare from Phuket TOWN to Chalong circle or Chalong area... For less NO TUK TUK will leave Phuket Town more far as Saphan hin

[steelepulse]

>>BUT, may be there is not so much money in for the big heads there as it is in Phuket - I heard once that the Tuk Tuk

drivers have to pay each day 500.-Baht to one people UP in the government... but I guess its just a rumour

No no, that fee goes to the "co op" which is run by the mayor's son as the mayor so gladly points out.

[Semper]

From Patong to the airport 800 Bt, from the airport to Patong 650 Bt?? Am I missing something?

Uphill to the airport?

[silsburyhill]

This List Of Fares, again:

Astronomical

Exhorbitant, and

How Much?!

[silsburyhill]

From Patong to the airport 800 Bt, from the airport to Patong 650 Bt?? Am I missing something?

They know you must get to the airport on time, but can take as long as you like to get to your home/hotel.

[madmitch]

From Patong to the airport 800 Bt, from the airport to Patong 650 Bt?? Am I missing something?

They know you must get to the airport on time, but can take as long as you like to get to your home/hotel.

More likely because the fee to the tuktuk bosses is much higher than the fee to the AOT.

[silsburyhill]

Then, they spot "Motorbike Rent - 200 baht a day" - so, they jump on and many end up dead or badly injured.

I've spotted travel websites actually advising people to hire a bike when they visit Phuket because of the very expensive transport here. Hence so many straight off the plane ending up dead as never ridden a bike before. I see these obviously incompetent riders on a daily basis in the high season. terrifying. And just days ago, they were announcing their objective of getting the traffic death stats down to 50 per year. Laughable.

[pomchop]

If they charged DOUBLE the bangkok taxi meter rate in phuket it would be a bargain compared to the posted prices.

Bangkok taxi rates:

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) 35.00 ฿

Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff) 5.00 ฿

You have forgotten the meter ticks over for every minute spent in traffic as well so a couple of km can easily cost 100 baht.

But still much cheaper than Phuket.

A Bangkok taxi can also pick up where he dropped off and the tribal nature of the transport co-operatives in Phuket means that this can't happen.

Unless I am mistaken the bangkok meter clicks ONE baht for every minute that you sit in traffic so unless it takes you an hour or more to go a couple of kms it would not be 100 baht...if the traffic is that bad you'd be better off to walk...anyway...the point is that compared to phuket taxis in bangkok are a major bargain or phuket is a major rip off or more likely a combination of the two...the mafia guys there are making a FORTUNE on tuk tuks and taxis there....sadly they seem to be able to also keep out competition and convince the govt official to set the fares at absurdly high rates to make it all seem legitimate.

[noob7]

<p>

I don't know, I haven't spoken to him since the idea, as I am not in Thailand at the moment, but if it is a private company and he uses his own private van, (as they did with the Limo) does he have to register as a taxi? I think not, yes I am aware about these mafia idiots, but Patong is his home town, plus he is very well connected, I don't think they will be a problem for him....

The registration is the smallest problem, this guy will face. He need to be IN the taxi mafia, to do business, that is affecting the mafia.What means: If he can run this business in Patong without problems, he won't have problems, to park in line with the cans on the Patong Roads,too, me think. No scratches, not mirrors fallen off, to flat tyres!What would make this 'good' guy to a part of the , eh, solution.

[noob7]

BUT, may be there is not so much money in for the big heads there as it is in Phuket - I heard once that the Tuk Tuk

drivers have to pay each day 500.-Baht to one people UP in the government... but I guess its just a rumour

The rumors, I've heart about this content, about 10 years ago: It's actually TWO people, in the tourist locations of Phuket.One in/from Patong to the North, one in/from Karon to the south.Both wealthy Phuket families.And that can explain the differences in prices from/to the airport:The taxi gang's from the airport have to face meter taxis and are not doing 'legally' customer ri8des back to the airport.The Patong and Karon/.... Gangs do not have meter taxis to worry, also they can ask for 'their' price, to the Airport.

[noob7]

I get it now. They have just made the ripoff legal and official across the board by the local authorities. Now that is amazing and actually quite smart. I wonder if that is Farang price or do locals have to pay the same fee?

It's a Farang price! On the west coast, no thai will ever drive with a Tuk Tuk, if not a Farang pays for it!

If you take a tuk Tuk from Nai Mueang (Robinson area) to Ha Yek (Villa market area) you can get it for 200 baht.For sure, if you have a Thai with you!

That is ~ the distance from Patong to Kata, but 40% of the price, only!

thats just not TRUE... I bet you just dont wanted to pay more and your Thailady tipped the driver with another 150.-Baht, thats the normal fare from Phuket TOWN to Chalong circle or Chalong area... For less NO TUK TUK will leave Phuket Town more far as Saphan hin

Nope, no Thailady involved. And no Lady needed, anyway. Only a Thai speaker! ;-)I managed the deal by myself. Not that I drive often cans, because I'm driving myself, normally. But in case, it helps a lot, to mention (in thai), that the pink bus can bring me (you) for 10 baht to villa california, where a blue bus will get me for 20 baht to Ha yek. Oh: And don't pick a can in front of Robinson! In front of AIS it's cheaper!

[tropo]

From Patong to the airport 800 Bt, from the airport to Patong 650 Bt?? Am I missing something?

Not much difference.

Airport to Pattaya 1,500

Pattaya to Airport - start at 800 baht.

How about standard fairs LIKE IN THE REST OF THAILAND, which is by meter?!?!

And what makes Phuket so different that it justifies those horrendous fairs in the first place?

We don't have metered fares in Pattaya. They are all negotiated.

Yoi 'have' a baht bus, right?

Only for limited routes.. going anywhere else you have to negotiate... just as we have to do with the taxis.

[tropo]

Gee you're getting ripped, Mr T charges 1000 baht from the airport to Pattaya, Anyway it's no where near the same distance, Phuket airport to Patong is half the distance.

I'm talking about taxis. The ones you jump into and go - they're 1500 from the airport. You're talking about a prearranged pickups. I also use pre-arranged pickups, but that's besides the point. I used to use Mr T too, but I have a better one now.

[atyclb]

Other countries in the world license taxis and then the taxis have to abide by the rules. If a taxi driver doesn't then he looses his license. Why can't Thailand implement and police laws? Because society is so corrupt? The taxi mafia make up the rules and then agree them with the local government? Only in Thailand!

Not only Thailand, In Somalia and Guinea- Bissau also LOL

[mortenaa]

LOL, what countries have you been in? A 25km ride in Norway would cost you probably 8,000 baht. There was a story about a family of 6 people, taking a metered taxi to downtown Oslo in the worst possible time (red-letter-day and nighttime), which set them back about 30,000 Baht.. Talk about expensive..

Well I have been around the world twice so quite a few countries.

As already said it's all relative to the wages paid here.There are an estimated million people living here now so it's not all about cashed up tourists throwing money about.What about the poor locals who can not afford a bike .What do they do? Save a months wages to go into Phuket town by taxi.

A totally disgusting show of greed in my eyes.

Those people can rely on other services, like the bus. I can tell you that people aren't using Taxis in Norway either, unless they REALLY have to. Its just ridiculously expensive.

Greed? Well, if people are paying those prices, then its the correct market price. If no-one used their services, prices would go down. I don't think 1000 Baht for 25-35km ride which takes about an hour seem unreasonable.

[Newguy70]

Just makes all of the other islands that more attractive...

[Valentine]

LOL, what countries have you been in? A 25km ride in Norway would cost you probably 8,000 baht. There was a story about a family of 6 people, taking a metered taxi to downtown Oslo in the worst possible time (red-letter-day and nighttime), which set them back about 30,000 Baht.. Talk about expensive..

Well I have been around the world twice so quite a few countries.

As already said it's all relative to the wages paid here.There are an estimated million people living here now so it's not all about cashed up tourists throwing money about.What about the poor locals who can not afford a bike .What do they do? Save a months wages to go into Phuket town by taxi.

A totally disgusting show of greed in my eyes.

Those people can rely on other services, like the bus. I can tell you that people aren't using Taxis in Norway either, unless they REALLY have to. Its just ridiculously expensive.

Greed? Well, if people are paying those prices, then its the correct market price. If no-one used their services, prices would go down. I don't think 1000 Baht for 25-35km ride which takes about an hour seem unreasonable.

Buses do not run after dark. If you want to get a bus from Patong to Karon you have to go to Phuket Town first. I am sure the bus service in Norway is much better than here. "Those people" are mainly your normal, average Thai & apart from the pink bus service public transport in Phuket is a disgrace purely because of the huge money making opportunities by a few individuals who have no interest in proper public transport.

[Stanley Jerd]

If 800baht is such a problem, then you can't afford to go to phukete. To leave the airport grounds in Perth,Australia,after midnight costs over 1000baht. Thailand is still dirt cheap,unless you are a cheap Charlie. Stop and smell the roses.

Compare the prices to Singapore. There a Toyota Camry costs around $100000 Sing. Twice as much as Phuket, yet the fares are half the price. From the Airport to the CBD (Same distance as Phuket Airport to Rawaii) is around $25 (600 baht)

[Stanley Jerd]

Then, they spot "Motorbike Rent - 200 baht a day" - so, they jump on and many end up dead or badly injured.

I've spotted travel websites actually advising people to hire a bike when they visit Phuket because of the very expensive transport here. Hence so many straight off the plane ending up dead as never ridden a bike before. I see these obviously incompetent riders on a daily basis in the high season. terrifying. And just days ago, they were announcing their objective of getting the traffic death stats down to 50 per year. Laughable.

You can hire a jeep for 600 baht a day or a car for 1000 baht per day, I always advise my friends to arrange private transport

[silsburyhill]

Then, they spot "Motorbike Rent - 200 baht a day" - so, they jump on and many end up dead or badly injured.

I've spotted travel websites actually advising people to hire a bike when they visit Phuket because of the very expensive transport here. Hence so many straight off the plane ending up dead as never ridden a bike before. I see these obviously incompetent riders on a daily basis in the high season. terrifying. And just days ago, they were announcing their objective of getting the traffic death stats down to 50 per year. Laughable.

You can hire a jeep for 600 baht a day or a car for 1000 baht per day, I always advise my friends to arrange private transport

That's fine if your're a family/group of friends on holiday. There are many who not only vacation alone, but who actually live here and don't drive. Notwithstanding this thread seems to be tourist centric, completely ignoring the fact that many local expats and Thais could not/would not pay 600-1000 baht to trip up to Tesco

[wellred]

Got to be the highest priced taxi's in the world.

Thank god I do not have to have anything to do with these scum.

I just pity the poor tourist's having to put up with this total and utter crap.

Now highway robbery has been legitamized in Phuket.

+1. Interesting Airport to Patong 650,Patong to Airport 800.Can't even get it right for the rip off,I tell everyone to keep clear of Phuket,rip off capital of Asia if not The world.Sunami did not sink Phuket but Mafia & Crime there will,roll on Upgrade of Pattaya,if they do what is in the pipeline it will P*?$ all over Phuket.

What's in the pipeline for Pattaya? Last time I checked there weren't many great beaches around Pattaya.

[Stanley Jerd]

Clarification - click on the Phuket Gazette link to access the taxi fare tables ....

http://www.phuketgaz...ares-17916.html

Would you find it reasonable for a taxi to charge 500 baht each way from say Patong - Airport and back?

As I have a friend who is a Thai national,and he's also half English, (so he's fluent in both languages) Anyway he used to be a stretch Limo driver in Pattaya, and worked doing routes from Pattaya to Airport and back, it went ok for a while, but not many people are that interested in taking a stretch limo back and forth so the market was not really there.

Anyway he is now living in Phuket (his home town actually) so he was thinking about starting his own little taxi business from all these main cities to Airport and back charging reasonable prices, and with an online reservations form, where anyone that was abroad could make a reservation and include their arrival times, where about in Phuket they are going, hotel, condo etc, etc, you get my drift.

What does everyone think about a service like that?

I think the service would be great, also the sales of hand grenades might go up in Phuket Town

[virtualtraveller]

Last time I visited Phuket with family we decided to rent a car, it was cheaper to get around, gave us the freedom, and best part of it was I was giving the money to an honest international rental company (who take their profits out of the island and the country unfortunately), I write travel guides, in all of them I recommend this option to everyone, discourage them from using taxis, it adds to the congestion but keeps the taxi drivers from ripping people off. When I have ridden taxis in Phuket I always make a point of telling them I can get a 90 minute ride from Bangkok airport to Pattaya for 1,000 baht and a trip to downtown Bangkok costs only 250 baht for same distance as airport-Patong, they look at me in total shock.

[Mike West]

<p>

I don't know, I haven't spoken to him since the idea, as I am not in Thailand at the moment, but if it is a private company and he uses his own private van, (as they did with the Limo) does he have to register as a taxi? I think not, yes I am aware about these mafia idiots, but Patong is his home town, plus he is very well connected, I don't think they will be a problem for him....

The registration is the smallest problem, this guy will face. He need to be IN the taxi mafia, to do business, that is affecting the mafia.What means: If he can run this business in Patong without problems, he won't have problems, to park in line with the cans on the Patong Roads,too, me think. No scratches, not mirrors fallen off, to flat tyres!What would make this 'good' guy to a part of the , eh, solution.

with enough word of mouth and internet marketing etc I don't think he would even need to park in line with these guys, like I said he has enough connections to get in anyway, I don't think that would be a problem for him, but that's for him to sort out anyway. I think he could be a valuable asset for consumers visiting Phuket, seeing as it's his home town he has plenty of suggestions and knows where he's going, and he is fluent in both English and Thai, so there won't be any language barriers, and he was also educated in England as well as graduating high school and business school in Phuket, so I can see many plus signs for the customers here.

[Mike West]

Clarification - click on the Phuket Gazette link to access the taxi fare tables ....

http://www.phuketgaz...ares-17916.html

Would you find it reasonable for a taxi to charge 500 baht each way from say Patong - Airport and back?

As I have a friend who is a Thai national,and he's also half English, (so he's fluent in both languages) Anyway he used to be a stretch Limo driver in Pattaya, and worked doing routes from Pattaya to Airport and back, it went ok for a while, but not many people are that interested in taking a stretch limo back and forth so the market was not really there.

Anyway he is now living in Phuket (his home town actually) so he was thinking about starting his own little taxi business from all these main cities to Airport and back charging reasonable prices, and with an online reservations form, where anyone that was abroad could make a reservation and include their arrival times, where about in Phuket they are going, hotel, condo etc, etc, you get my drift.

What does everyone think about a service like that?

I think the service would be great, also the sales of hand grenades might go up in Phuket Town

You see also that frame of mind and cynical thinking is part of the problem in Phuket too, I don't think the taxi problem will away any time soon with negative attitudes like that. I am glad I don't live there anymore.

[noob7]

<p>

I don't know, I haven't spoken to him since the idea, as I am not in Thailand at the moment, but if it is a private company and he uses his own private van, (as they did with the Limo) does he have to register as a taxi? I think not, yes I am aware about these mafia idiots, but Patong is his home town, plus he is very well connected, I don't think they will be a problem for him....

The registration is the smallest problem, this guy will face. He need to be IN the taxi mafia, to do business, that is affecting the mafia.What means: If he can run this business in Patong without problems, he won't have problems, to park in line with the cans on the Patong Roads,too, me think. No scratches, not mirrors fallen off, to flat tyres!What would make this 'good' guy to a part of the , eh, solution.

with enough word of mouth and internet marketing etc I don't think he would even need to park in line with these guys, like I said he has enough connections to get in anyway, I don't think that would be a problem for him, but that's for him to sort out anyway. I think he could be a valuable asset for consumers visiting Phuket, seeing as it's his home town he has plenty of suggestions and knows where he's going, and he is fluent in both English and Thai, so there won't be any language barriers, and he was also educated in England as well as graduating high school and business school in Phuket, so I can see many plus signs for the customers here.

I never said, he need to park in line. But he would be able, to do so. Without broken mirrors, scratched paint and 'harassment' of the 'parking attendants'.

You understand the difference? Or to subtly?

[KarenBravo]

You see also that frame of mind and cynical thinking is part of the problem in Phuket too, I don't think the taxi problem will away any time soon with negative attitudes like that. I am glad I don't live there anymore.

Firstly, whether we are cynical, or optimistic, it doesn't matter. It doesn't make a difference. The problem can only be rectified by Thais.

As foreigners, we are the powerless marks.

[Stanley Jerd]

Clarification - click on the Phuket Gazette link to access the taxi fare tables ....

http://www.phuketgaz...ares-17916.html

Would you find it reasonable for a taxi to charge 500 baht each way from say Patong - Airport and back?

As I have a friend who is a Thai national,and he's also half English, (so he's fluent in both languages) Anyway he used to be a stretch Limo driver in Pattaya, and worked doing routes from Pattaya to Airport and back, it went ok for a while, but not many people are that interested in taking a stretch limo back and forth so the market was not really there.

Anyway he is now living in Phuket (his home town actually) so he was thinking about starting his own little taxi business from all these main cities to Airport and back charging reasonable prices, and with an online reservations form, where anyone that was abroad could make a reservation and include their arrival times, where about in Phuket they are going, hotel, condo etc, etc, you get my drift.

What does everyone think about a service like that?

I think the service would be great, also the sales of hand grenades might go up in Phuket Town

You see also that frame of mind and cynical thinking is part of the problem in Phuket too, I don't think the taxi problem will away any time soon with negative attitudes like that. I am glad I don't live there anymore.

Its the truth, that new business venture would have its vehilces blown to kingdom come, the only solution is a light rail system

[silsburyhill]

<p>

I don't know, I haven't spoken to him since the idea, as I am not in Thailand at the moment, but if it is a private company and he uses his own private van, (as they did with the Limo) does he have to register as a taxi? I think not, yes I am aware about these mafia idiots, but Patong is his home town, plus he is very well connected, I don't think they will be a problem for him....

The registration is the smallest problem, this guy will face. He need to be IN the taxi mafia, to do business, that is affecting the mafia.What means: If he can run this business in Patong without problems, he won't have problems, to park in line with the cans on the Patong Roads,too, me think. No scratches, not mirrors fallen off, to flat tyres!What would make this 'good' guy to a part of the , eh, solution.

with enough word of mouth and internet marketing etc I don't think he would even need to park in line with these guys, like I said he has enough connections to get in anyway, I don't think that would be a problem for him, but that's for him to sort out anyway. I think he could be a valuable asset for consumers visiting Phuket, seeing as it's his home town he has plenty of suggestions and knows where he's going, and he is fluent in both English and Thai, so there won't be any language barriers, and he was also educated in England as well as graduating high school and business school in Phuket, so I can see many plus signs for the customers here.

Okay. Fabulous idea. Tell 'him' to go ahead and please do come back with a progress report.